I'll Stand By You
by GymGirl904
Summary: Zach is pushing Cammie away because he doesn't want to ruin her life, and she's trying to make him see that he isn't. Cammie loves Zach but he doesn't belief that she ever could. Song by The Pretenders, I'll stand by you. Based off Ally Carter's young adult books, the Gallagher Girls series. "Nothing you confess could make me love you less. I'll stand by you."


**I'll Stand By You:**

**Based off Ally Carter's young adult books, the Gallagher Girls series, and The Pretenders' song I'll Stand By You:**

_Oh why you look so sad. The tears are in your eyes. Come on and come to me now. Don't be ashamed to cry. Let me see you through. Cause I've seen the dark side too. _

"Zach, are you in here?" I asked knocking on his door and stepping into his room when he didn't answer. I looked around the room for a second before my eyes landed on a piece of paper that was sitting on his bed. I walked over and sat down, picking up the piece of paper and smoothing out the wrinkles that were in it.

Reasons why I smirk:

To act mysterious.

To make people think that I know something they don't know.

Because it's my personality.

It's fun to infuriate Cammie sometimes.

It is the wall I put up.

So people can't see what I'm thinking.

It's a cover.

So people won't see my pain.

It makes me look like nothing can get to me.

So people don't ask me questions.

So people don't get close to me.

Because nothing's right in my world and it's the one thing going for me.

"What are you doing?" A voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Zach standing in front of me with a white towel wrapped around his waist.

"I came to find you," I said standing up from his bed.

"What'd you read?" he asked looking at the paper in my hands. His eyes showed no emotion and he looked like a rock standing there with his arms crossed over his bare chest, muscles bulging.

"All of it," I replied holding out the paper for him. "What is it?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter," he said taking it from my hands, crumpling it up, and tossing it over his head so that it landed on the other side of the room.

"Is it true?" I asked as he pulled out a black shirt and pulled it over his head. He just shrugged his shoulders and pulled out some pants.

I turned away to let him change and noticed that there was another paper that read "Why Cammie can't know the real me." I frowned and went to go pick it up, but right before I could Zach's hand closed around mine and he picked it up with his other hand.

_When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do. Nothing you confess could make me love you less._

"Zach, why can't I know the real you?" I asked, confused as we both stood up.

"Because you wouldn't like the truth," he stated blankly.

"What truth? The truth about Blackthorne?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows at him. "Because I already know the truth about that."

He just looked at me with no expression on his face.

"Is it about who your mother is?" He flinched when I said 'his mother.' His eyes grew cold and icy and furious. "Zach, I don't care who your mother is, I don't see her when I look at you. Nothing you say or do will make me love you any less." I stepped closer to him but he just stepped back with a distant look in his eyes.

"You don't mean that," his voice came out in a whisper. "If you knew what _she _has done in the past you wouldn't want me." He was shaking his head as he turned away.

"You don't get it Zach. It doesn't matter what she's done. I'm in love with you." He stopped at the doorway and turned his head slightly before turning back and walking away.

After he left I found the paper and opened it. Wanting to know why he didn't want me to know the real him. I wanted to help him see that I saw him for who he was and this was the only way.

Why Cammie can't know the real me:

Because then she'll know where I came from, an assassin-spy school.

She'll know my fears and worries.

She won't trust me because of my family.

She'll see _her_ in me.

I've got almost nothing to lose and I can't ruin her life.

I don't want her to be ashamed or scared of me.

I don't want to lose her. I _can't_ lose her.

_I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you._

I decided to let him be by himself for a while; later I went to go find him. I found him in the P&E barn punching the crud out of one of the bags that hung from the rafters. He looked lethal as he repeatedly pummeled it. I walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to reel around and prepare a punch. I grabbed his fist and held it there and it was then that he realized it was me and not some attacker.

_So if you're mad, get mad. Don't hold it all inside. Come on and talk to me now. Hey, what you got to hide? I get angry too. Well I'm a lot like you._

"What do you want?" he asked searching my eyes. I released his fist and let it fall to his side.

"I want you to talk to me." He just shook his head.

"What do you want me to say? That I hate my mother. That I hate who she is. That I'm so scared that you'll someday see her when you look at me? What Do You Want Me To Say?"

"I want you to trust me. I want you to be able to talk to me. I want you to show me your emotions and not be a total rock."

"I do trust you Cammie. I trust you with my life, but I just can't do this."

"You can't do what?" I asked not understanding what he was saying. I stepped closer to him.

"I can't ruin your life, okay?! I can't ruin your life because of my god damn mother!" His eyes were wild and he was breathing heavily. "I don't deserve you, Cammie. You don't deserve to be pulled into my life and all my baggage. You don't deserve it. You're not safe."

"And what, I'm going to be safe without you? Zach, I'm pretty sure you're the only reason I'm here right now. Your mother's not going to stop trying to kill me just because you aren't there. She's going to try even harder because I wouldn't have your strength with me."

"Still, I can't hurt you, Cammie. I can't live with myself knowing that she hurt you and I let it happen. I can't ruin your life just because I'm her son. I'm her _son_, Cammie, I can't change that. Nobody can change that."

He threw another punch at the bag and I watched him run his hands through his dark brown hair. It was then that I realized he was shaking. He looked at me one last time, shook his head and walked out of the barn.

_When you're standing at the crossroads and don't know which path to choose. Let me come along cause even if you're wrong I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you. Take me to your darkest hour and I'll never desert you. I'll stand by you._

I found him standing at the edge of the hill overlooking the city of Roseville with his hands in his pockets. The wind whipped my hair around my face as I walked up behind him. The sun was just setting and there were reds, oranges, violets, blues, and greens coloring the evening sky. I touched his arm as I came up behind him. I saw the tears that were silently streaming down his face, his eyes glossy, and his gaze looking ahead. His breathing was shallow and he was still shaking slightly. I reached up and wiped away a tear that was rolling down his cheek when he grabbed my hand and held it to his cheek. He kissed my knuckles a few times before enveloping me into a tight hug. His arms were wrapped around my waist keeping me close to him.

_And when, when the night falls on you, baby, you feel all alone. You won't be on your own._

_._

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into my neck. "I'm so, so sorry." I didn't say anything, just being there was enough. "Please don't leave me, Cammie. Please."

"I won't, I promise you I won't."

_I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you. Take me to your darkest hour, and I'll never desert you. I'll stand by you._

"I love you," he whispered against my ear as the evening turned into night. "I love you so much. I don't want you to go. I don't want to leave you."

"I know," I replied looking him in the eyes. "I know."

_Oh, I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you._

**THE END.**

**Author's Note: So I was listening to Pandora yesterday when the song, "I'll stand by you" came on by Carrie Underwood and I immediately started thinking about this story, so after the song was done I got out my laptop and started typing. I know there isn't any kissing between them, but I thought it really showed their relationship and the connection that they have. I hope you enjoyed.**

**Just a little bit about me. I am a **_**very **_**energetic person and I am a competitive gymnast. I "sprained" my ankle in gym last Saturday. On my birthday, which was on Wednesday, September 4, I found out that it wasn't just a sprain. The doctor said it was a Type 1 Salter Fracture of the Growth Plate. Turns out only 5% of people get this kind of fracture. Anyways, they had to put me in a cast on my birthday. **

**-GymGirl904. ~Love&Strength.~**


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